BookLoverAmanda

                                        Ember and the Island of the Lost Creatures by Jason Pamment 3.5 Stars  Really cute graphic novel! This has some really cute illustrations and facts about different creatures! Fitting in can be hard for a tiny boy like Ember, living along in the city of giants. One day, he meets a kindly sea turtle, Lua, who escorts him across the ocean to a school for little creatures on this fun, adventurous island. Ember starts to make friends, even though at first they really aren't interested in being friends. He struggles to adapt but as things would have it, the island may have an otherworldly mystery itself that Ember starts to uncover.... Overall, I enjoyed this and the themes of friendship and starting anew in a fresh place and just being who you are! Amazon:  https://amzn.to/43MJvwL

  Book Review - Sailor Moon Book 2 - 2.5 to 3 Stars So, as I have said before, Sailor Moon is such a nostalgic anime/manga series for me. It was a favorite of mine when I was young. I initially thought this would be a 4 star, but really sitting with it, it's really 3. As an adult re-reading the series, there are things that make me giggle and smile - such as Usagi with her friends saving earth, Luna and Artemis together and the Serenity/Moon back story. The artwork is also amazing. It's probably my favorite artwork from any manga series. However, there are things that make me cringe. Specifically, the ending of this makes me cringe with the whole Chibi-Usa thing coming down from the sky and her lips end up on Tuxedo Mask's - issa no for me. Especially since technically he is her father in the future, sooo yeah.  I also still have an issue with the age difference of Usagi and Mamoru/Tuxedo Mask....I think she's 14 and he's 16 or 17. It looks like the anime portrays h...

  It Is Finished - Charles Martin - 5 Stars  I have to say, this is the best Easter Devotional I have done leading up to Easter thus far. Such a beautiful storytelling experience to the cross. I loved the walking back to the cross parts in each day and the prayers. I think this one is so well needed because the way Charles Martin explains what Jesus went through - TRULY went through - will touch you in such a way that it's almost like being told for the first time about his death. It's so well needed because many times I think we forget what He truly went through on the cross for our sins in our place. We deserve death. But He stood in our place. Because He loves us that much. This is not your average devotional. It will truly minister to you. Highly recommend. Amazon:  https://amzn.to/4av4w14 *Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.

  Double Take by Lynette Eason - 5 Stars - Book 1 in the Lake City Heroes Series I loved this story! A great start to a new Christian Romantic Suspense series!  - Fast paced suspense story - The best friend's brother trope - Nice faith thread - Crazy storyline of being stalked by your ex-fiancé that you thought was dead  In this story, we have detective James Cross who works with the Lake City Police Department. He has a lot of crazy family dynamics going on so he's rooming with his friend and partner Cole. Cut to Physician Assistant Lanie Jackson who is 18 months post her attempted murder by her ex, which ended when she managed to grab the gun and shoot him. He's been dead this whole time....or so she thought......is he back to finish the job? Crazy things start to happen where they are questioning if he is alive or dead and James steps in to help solve the case and protect Lanie.  I loved this because James knew Lanie for most of his life as her best friends brothe...

   The Wild Robot by Peter Brown - 4 Stars  When Roz the robot is in a shipment and a hurricane sinks her cargo ship - she is the only robot to wash up on shore. The wildlife on the island are not too thrilled to see a robot show up but once she adopts a goose after its parents die, she becomes a mother and learns to speak to and interact with the animals, building a relationship with them along the way.  This book was such a delight to listen to. It really teaches us about nature, technology, family, friendship, and love. At first, you don't really connect to the robot Roz but by the end, she is somewhat personable after all she goes through while trying to raise her "son" the goose. It's a bit like a story of survival too, reminiscent of a story like Hatchet. What I love most about this story is the theme that family doesn't have to be blood. A mother doesn't have to be blood related to be a mother.  The ending was emotional! I definitely want to read the ne...

  Star Knights - Kay Davault - 5 Stars  First of all, let me start by saying how much I love the colors and illustration art in this graphic novel - absolutely beautiful. I am so glad I read this as I don't read a ton of graphic novels right now but want to try and dip my toes into reading some this year and this one was a HIT!  This is about a simple frog who wants to become a legendary knight and he finds himself on this unexpected magical journey. The characters in this are so much fun and the sweet themes of being true to yourself and the importance of friendship - so great.  Highly recommend.  Content for parents since this is technically a middle grade story: There are mentions of spirits, some mild fights/magic, and one character who is a witch but it wasn't anything I was uncomfortable with personally. It was just part of the fantasy world/story to me. Just want to mention for parents who may want a content note if needed. Goodreads Review:  https:/...

  A Whale of the Wild - Rosanne Parry - 4 Stars This was a really great middle grade story told from the POV of a young orca whale that leads her brother on a tumultuous journey to be reunited with their pod. It was very interesting to read a book from an animals POV and I really enjoyed the descriptions under the sea and what it could have been like from the whale POVs. The themes of adventure, family bonds, survival and an ever changing seascape were great. Vega and her family eat salmon so she is trying to learn how to be a salmon finder. Her and her brother get separated though from the pod when an earthquake and tsunami leave their area under the sea in shambles. As they face hunger and the unknown, will they make it back? Will she be the leader she needs to be?  Overall, I really enjoyed this with the family bonds especially and learning about orca whales as I didn't really have much knowledge about them previously. The only thing I didn't love was how it ended but still...

  Lost in the Caverns by Kathryn Butler - Book 3 in The Dreamkeeper Saga - 4 Stars In this book we continue our adventure with 12 year old dream keeper Lily McKinley as she embarks on a dangerous journey through the Desert of the Forgotten to regain her ability to dream and spread Pax's message. This book continues the themes of fantasy, Christian themes and allegory with mystery throughout the series. The allegory shown relate to the Gospel of Jesus and other theological conversations surrounding sacrifice, salvation and evangelism. This was quite the adventure once again! I had so much fun being back in this world with our characters, as I have had quite the break since book 2.  I love the allegory message of the Gospel of Jesus in this story. We see characters who represent satan as well and the message of what the Lord has done for us is beautifully depicted in this series. If you like stories like Narnia, good versus evil and great Christian allegorical themes - pick this...

  Uncovering the Love of Jesus by Asheritah Ciuciu 3.5 Stars  I enjoyed this devotional during the season of lent leading up to Easter. I think this is great for families as it has some good family activities, scripture readings and daily devotions. I picked this up because it was a kindle buy last year and I have a goal to read several of my kindle only books this year. This book follows the story of Jesus leading up to his death on the cross and resurrection. This has some good basic discussions surrounding the Gospel of Jesus and practical daily devotions and prayers. While there wasn't anything groundbreaking for me personally and I would have liked a bit more "meat and potatoes" to the book we'll say, it had some really nice faith reminders I needed personally and is a good devotional to prepare your heart for Easter. I also would recommend this for someone who is new to their faith or those would like a good family lent devotional.  Goodreads Review:  https://w...

  Recorder by Cathy McCrumb - Book 1 in the Children of the Consortium Series  5 Stars  Wow, what an ending! I must read book 2 immediately! This is book 1 in a Christian Sci-Fi series that really is #SciFiWithHeart as many have said. I am not usually someone who reads the Sci-Fi genre because I have a fear of not understanding what's going on - but this was SUPER easy to understand and you are immediately connected to our characters, their relationships and the friendships made. Cathy truly tugs at your heart strings in this one as our main character, who is a Recorder, starts to realize she has value for who she is.   I can't say too much for this as I really think you should go in this book knowing as little as possible, but to quote the synopsis, "Recorder has no family, friends and no name. Donated to the Consortium before birth, her sole purpose is to maintain and verify records. A neural implant and drone ensure compliance, punishing for displays of bias....

  If The Boot Fits by Karen Witemeyer - 4.5 Stars  *Updating review to include some thoughts on the ending* What a great second book in the Texas Ever After series! A western spin on the classic Cinderella tale! This book can be read as a standalone but I recommend starting with book 1, Fairest of Heart. In this story, Samantha Dearing is going to the ball that her father is hosting to find her a match! She isn't excited about this so she takes a break from the ball and finds a thief fleeing her home. The stranger, Asher Ellis, was looking for in Samantha's father's room for documentation regarding the rent payments since her father was evicting his mother and family from their property. While Asher is running away, he sees Samantha's brother Clint in distress in the water drowning and he saves his life. While no one saw him in this, he left his boot behind and Samantha decides to find the man that "the boot fits". Samantha and Asher cross paths later as she i...

  Once Upon A Wardrobe by Patti Callahan 5 Stars  What a beautiful story filled with the essence of Narnia and so much more. The storytelling was perfect, I need to read everything Patti writes now. This was filled with love and family. The ties to Narnia and CS Lewis are truly immersive. This story is all about college student Meg and her younger brother George. His last wish as terminally ill young boy with a weak heart is to uncover the truth of Narnia, as its his favorite story. What happens next is a beautiful story of love, sibling bonds and the life-changing magic of stories like Narnia. Set in 1950, we see Meg as a student at Oxford University. When George asks her to find out about Narnia, she tells him its just a children's book....but soon realizes it's so much more herself. She goes on a hunt to find the answers to George's questions and the rest is history as she meets CS Lewis himself (since he is a teacher at her university) and she asks him the questions. Bu...

  It's Boba Time for Pearl Li! - Nicole Chen 4.5 Stars We follow a big hearted Taiwanese American girl - Pearl Li - who has a heart for crafting amigurumi dolls, her favorite boba tea shop - Boba Time, her friends, family and Boba Time's owner - Auntie Cha. Pearl learns that Boba Time has financial troubles and decides to sell her amigurumi dolls to raise money to help the shop. She starts to navigate the ups and downs of running a business and Pearl realizes that its a bit more complicated than she originally thought.... What a cute middle grade book! I loved learning about Pearl's crafts, the Boba Tea shop, seeing her relationships with her friends and family! It also made me SO hungry for good food and a tasty boba drink! I loved seeing Pearl realize her mistakes, come into her own as a young girl and see why its important to talk to your parents about what you truly love in life. For a while, I kept saying girl, just talk to them LOL - and loved how it all turned out. I...

  A Lady's Guide to Marvels and Misadventure - Angela Bell  🦉🌍 ✨ "Just as Grand would never expect a clock to mend its own windings, God would never expect us to mend our own hearts."  🦉🌍 ✨What a fun, whimsical story with great quirky characters that go on an adventure together! This is a Christian Historical Romance that has some steampunk-ish vibes and is a great read for lovers of The Nutcracker or Around the World in 80 Days! 4 stars! This book starts off with our main character of Clara Stanton trying to protect her family from her ex-fiancé's schemes and society's prejudice about them because they are very different! Her Grandfather brings on an apprentice with a mechanical leg and boy do things get wild from here!  We see Theodore Kingsley, the apprentice who repairs clocks, desperate for a fresh start from his disappointed father who wants nothing to do with him and declared him dead. When Clara's Grandfather disappears in his secret flying owl mac...

  Fish in a Tree - Lynda Hunt - 5 Stars  "Fish in a Tree" by Lynda Hunt is a heartfelt and inspiring middle-grade story that celebrates the power of resilience, empathy, and the importance of embracing differences. Our main character, a 6th grader named Ally, navigates the challenges of dyslexia, showing us her every day struggles in her learning differences. We see her being bullied by others, along with being frustrated and embarrassed by her inability to read. Yet, amidst these challenges, Ally's resilience shines through. She is determined to success, despite her challenges. Things really change when we see Ally start to accept her differences through the interactions with her friends Albert and Keisha, and her teacher Mr. Daniels. One of the greatest strengths in this book is through the portrayal of the teacher-student relationship between Ally and Mr. Daniels. He is truly patient with Ally and approaches her to help her overcome her academic struggles and instills ...

  The Cowboy Who Came Home by Liz Isaacson 4 Stars This book was my first read by Liz Isaacson and I really enjoyed it! Anyone who loves a Christian western cowboy romance with hallmark style happy endings would enjoy this one.  Finn Ackerman comes home after serving in the military the past 10 years. He runs into his former high school sweetheart, Edith Baxter. Edith is back home after the loss of her fiancé several years ago and she is still learning how to grieve that loss and live life without him. She doesn't really know where life is going next, right along with Finn and together they start to reconnect, work together on the ranch and fall in love. The only problem? Is Edith ready to love again? What's the right thing to do? Where will the Lord lead them?  Overall, I really enjoyed this second chance romance. You have such beautiful family elements, great faith content, a great small town ranch setting, cute romance cheese - just overall a feel good book! Edith's jo...

  A Royal Pain by Rhys Bowen - 3.5 Stars (Book 2 in Her Royal Spyness Series) This series is always a fun time. While some of the sexual innuendos can be a bit much for me at times from her friend Belinda, I still recommend this as a fun British mystery series! Honestly, what Belinda is saying does usually make me laugh but I would just rather not have those bits at times.  In this one, Lady Georgiana, 34th in line to the throne, has nothing to serve her Bavarian princess houseguest....even though the Queen of England has requested for her to entertain her for a week. Someone ends up murdered in a bookshop, among other murder mysteries taking place in this story, and all eyes point to Georgiana and her new houseguest.  This one was so much fun and I look forward to the next one. The pacing can be a bit slow sometimes, but it's always fun to sit with our characters throughout the story and see what they get up to and what commentary they provide. Content: There is a scene ...

                                                                                        Masked Ball at Broxley Manor by Rhys Bowen - 3 Stars This is a prequel to Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen - I have read book 1 and didn't realize there was a prequel novella so I decided to check this out as a quick read. This is a quick audiobook listen featuring Lady Georgina, our main character in the Her Royal Spyness series. Great narrator and gives a lot of background to Lady Georgina's family. She is 34th in line to the throne and we see her high society lifestyle in this one. Everyone wants her to get married already and she ends up going to a masked ball at Broxly Manor. Her family doesn't understand why she was...

The Divine Proverb of Streusel by Sara Brunsvold - 3.5 Stars The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip by Sara was one of my favorite books of 2022 so I was SO excited to dive into Sara's next book! While it's hard to live up to my love for Mrs. Kip's story, this one was a solid contemporary Christian story with beautiful faith content throughout the story that I thoroughly enjoyed. In this story, we follow Nikki who is devastated from her parent's divorce. She doesn't know what to do with her life, relationship with Isaac or how to approach her father after his betrayal to her and her family. Nikki ends up going to stay with her Uncle Wes in the town her father grew up in. She ends up finding old recipes of her grandmother and learns so much of her German history within her family that she never knew about before. I really enjoyed this one overall - while some parts were slow for me, I loved the faith elements, proverbs scriptures, recipes, characters and the forgivenes...

My Lucky Charm by Courtney Walsh - 5 Stars Ya'll, I just absolutely loved this book. Book 1 was amazing. Book 2 is amazing. Courtney's Rom-Coms are the BEST! I love these feel good stories that have beautiful happy endings - exactly what I need in life right now.  I LOVE a good Grumpy/Sunshine trope and this DID NOT DISAPPOINT ya'll! I love Eloise and how she sees the good in everyone and has the most heartwarming personality. She truly exudes everything SUNSHINE and I absolutely love that! Meanwhile, Gray's grumpiness and the reasons behind it are sad and understandable, but loved seeing him open up along the way. Eloise really brought out the best in him and I loved that! I also LOVED the reveal / twist in this book. My favorite part that really made the story for me.  The story: Eloise sees her ex boyfriend/boss on New Year's Eve and doesn't want him to think she is all alone. With the encouragement of others, she kisses a stranger for the first time ever in ...

  Refugee - Alan Gratz - 5 Stars  Wow, this was such a powerful and important story of 3 families in search of refuge. We follow 3 perspectives. Josef - a Jewish boy in 1930s Nazi Germany and his family trying to escape to be free from the Nazis. Isabel - a Cuban girl in 1994 and her family trying to find refuge away from riots and unrest in Cuba. Mahmoud - a Syrian boy in 2015 and his family trying to escape their homeland torn apart by violence and destruction. All 3 journeys are incredibly impactful and unimaginable what they went through. There was hope. Sadness. Death. Betrayals. But each day they were just trying to survive for their own safety for the love of their families. The way the author tied in each family together in the end of this story made me cry. This is a heartbreaking but important historical read with glimmers of hope in each timeline. Highly recommend. *Content: This book has descriptions of PTSD from concentration camps, attempted suicide, loss of a ch...

  Alaskan Rescue by Terri Reed - Book 1 in the Alaska K-9 Unit Series - 3 Stars  This is a Christian Romantic Suspense story about a bridesmaid, Ariel Potter, who is found hanging down off from a cliff by Alaskan State Trooper, Hunter McCord and his K-9 partner, Juneau. The story starts with someone pushing her over the cliff and gunshots ringing out. With Ariel's hiking companions missing, Hunter and Juneau have to find them, all while protecting Ariel throughout the process. Deciding where I land on this was a bit tough, on one hand, I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook of this one. It had a great narrator, characters were easy to connect to, the plot was interesting to me etc. The romance was a bit "block of cheese" for me, but I think that's how these type of books go sometimes so I was just enjoying the ride. Also, I honestly don't know how well Ariel and Hunter go together because they are both pretty controlling and quick to assumptions in the short ...